Candybee Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 Okay I made my first 50lb master batch of oils. It will be gone before the end of next week I have so much soap to catch up on! LOL Up until now I have been doing about 30-40 lbs at a time just to do a day's worth of soaping! So once I got my 1st empty 50lb pail decided to use it. So those of you who do 50 lbs what do you use to stir the oils with? I swear I need a large paddle to stir this pail of oil. Right now I don't have anything long enough to reach the bottom. Also, the 50 lbs goes right to the very brim of the pail. I am afraid to move the pail because I may spill!! So my questions are; what do you use to stir the oils? and do you use something bigger than the 50lb pail to master batch 50 lbs of oil? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jcandleattic Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 I have a paint stirrer that I attach to my drill. It's about 2 or 2.5 ft. long and works perfect. I use 4-8 5 gallon buckets because I masterbatch anywhere between 100-200 lbs of oils at a time and the 5 gallon buckets stack easily in the corner of my soap studio, and I don't have to worry about getting anything bigger. These hold 25lbs of my oils perfectly and have a screw top lids. anything bigger than those, and I don't think I'd be able to lift it to scoop the oils out. (So I guess I actually only masterbatch 25lbs at a time, however, I do 100-200 lbs all in the same session. Only takes about 2-3 hours for me to do 200lbs - even when done in increments) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8-GRAN-ONES Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 doesn't it feel good to get a good job like that done...it is a rewarding feeling.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted March 29, 2017 Author Share Posted March 29, 2017 8 minutes ago, 8-GRAN-ONES said: doesn't it feel good to get a good job like that done...it is a rewarding feeling.. Actually, I hated it. The 35-40 lb batches I used to batch up for a day were much easier to put together. It took so long to do just 50 lbs. Maybe because it is the first time I used that particular pail. IDK. I ended up feeling like I had been to a wrestling match. Sort of exhausted and beat up. But I also had to open two 5 gallon pails with my pail opener. Those are so hard to open that is probably what wiped me out. But if I am going to be masterbatching larger batches of 100 lbs or more I have to get used to opening up several pails as I run out of something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted March 29, 2017 Author Share Posted March 29, 2017 57 minutes ago, Jcandleattic said: I have a paint stirrer that I attach to my drill. It's about 2 or 2.5 ft. long and works perfect. I use 4-8 5 gallon buckets because I masterbatch anywhere between 100-200 lbs of oils at a time and the 5 gallon buckets stack easily in the corner of my soap studio, and I don't have to worry about getting anything bigger. These hold 25lbs of my oils perfectly and have a screw top lids. anything bigger than those, and I don't think I'd be able to lift it to scoop the oils out. (So I guess I actually only masterbatch 25lbs at a time, however, I do 100-200 lbs all in the same session. Only takes about 2-3 hours for me to do 200lbs - even when done in increments) I am currently collecting pails, both the 5 gal and the 50 lb pails I get. I think I may end up doing the 5 gal pails like you do and doing large master batches with a few of those instead. After today's experience I do not want to masterbatch in the 50 lb pails anymore. Also-- I don't have a drill and don't intend to get one for soaping. Will have to figure something out. I think with the 5 gal pails I won't have to bother and can use the stirrer I have for those. Thanks for the suggestion. Sometimes you just have to jump in and do something wrong the first time to get it right the next! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted March 29, 2017 Author Share Posted March 29, 2017 BTW-- I still haven't used my electric pail warming belt. The coconut oil and palm oil I was batching today I could have warmed those the night before. It would have made today's job much easier. But noooooo.... I just had to do things the hard way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jcandleattic Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 Just now, Candybee said: I am currently collecting pails, both the 5 gal and the 50 lb pails I get. I think I may end up doing the 5 gal pails like you do and doing large master batches with a few of those instead. After today's experience I do not want to masterbatch in the 50 lb pails anymore. Also-- I don't have a drill and don't intend to get one for soaping. Will have to figure something out. I think with the 5 gal pails I won't have to bother and can use the stirrer I have for those. Thanks for the suggestion. Sometimes you just have to jump in and do something wrong the first time to get it right the next! I can no longer lift 50lbs at a time off of the floor very easily and am afraid I'll drop it and break a foot and have 50lbs of oils all over my floor. My hub got my drill for me from Home Depot for $14.99, and the paint stirrer was $2.99. I didn't mind that investment. Also, it's a small drill with only 3 settings, slow, medium and reverse. It's a Roybal, so a very good brand also. I have to have the drill because in the winter time my mixture becomes a thick slush and I wouldn't be able to stir it as it's cooling down without the drill and paint stirrer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jcandleattic Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 2 minutes ago, Candybee said: BTW-- I still haven't used my electric pail warming belt. The coconut oil and palm oil I was batching today I could have warmed those the night before. It would have made today's job much easier. But noooooo.... I just had to do things the hard way! I threw mine away. I had one and found it to be such a PITA that for me, it's just easier to weigh out my PKO and CO and melt them as I am batching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted March 29, 2017 Author Share Posted March 29, 2017 (edited) 5 minutes ago, Jcandleattic said: I can no longer lift 50lbs at a time off of the floor very easily and am afraid I'll drop it and break a foot and have 50lbs of oils all over my floor. My hub got my drill for me from Home Depot for $14.99, and the paint stirrer was $2.99. I didn't mind that investment. Also, it's a small drill with only 3 settings, slow, medium and reverse. It's a Roybal, so a very good brand also. I have to have the drill because in the winter time my mixture becomes a thick slush and I wouldn't be able to stir it as it's cooling down without the drill and paint stirrer. Can you take a pic of these and post them or post a link so I can see what you mean? I thought the price for a drill and the stirrer would be a lot more but that sounds doable. Also, what attachment do you use for the drill? or do you need one? I don't know anything about drills. Edited March 29, 2017 by Candybee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jcandleattic Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 I don't need an attachment, the stirrer fits right in. I'll go down and take a pic and upload it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponiebr Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 (edited) 28 minutes ago, Candybee said: Also-- I don't have a drill and don't intend to get one for soaping. WHAAAAA? You DON'T have a DRILL!!!? I mean like, at ALL? o.o I spent a fair amount of time in far east Europe where EVERYTHING was hand tools and I had a drill, and though I don't OWN a drill now, I have access to several! Come now... You simply MUST get a drill! All the COOL kids have drills... Your life will change DRAMATICALLY when you realize the amount of things there are to screw in this world... Oh and a drill makes doing lobotomies SO much easier, and those make people easier to live with... You GOTTA get a drill! Oh, and a weed eater... and a LIVE chicken!!! and some PEACH PRESERVES!!!! Oh we'll have a FINE old time!!! -Sponiebr Edited March 29, 2017 by Sponiebr 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted March 29, 2017 Author Share Posted March 29, 2017 LOL.. well at least I have the weed eater. I did once have a pet chicken that used to perch on the towel rack and fall asleep when I was taking a bath. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jcandleattic Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 This is my drill and my "short" stirrer. I have another one that's about a foot longer, but could not find it anywhere. The longer one is exactly the same as this one, just longer. Oh and it's Ryobi, not Roybal. Lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted March 29, 2017 Author Share Posted March 29, 2017 Thanks for taking the time to post a pic. I may end up getting one. I know other soapers have talked about using a drill for soaping. Can you use it like a stick blender too? Just wondering... maybe not... the plastic I can't tell from the pic if it is the right kind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponiebr Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 What ARE these 50 pound pails? What ARE they made of, stainless steel? They must be TERRIBLY heavy after you get them filled up... It's been one of those intriguing days, which is interesting in itself because I'm getting a head cold... I thank I knead sum mir robysustun... o.O (That's the ticket Sponie! More Robitussin... Go get'm tiger! ) Sponiebr: the (READER'S CHOICE!!! fill in the blank:)___________________________ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jcandleattic Posted March 29, 2017 Share Posted March 29, 2017 @Sponiebr the 50lb pails, are pails that you buy bulk oils in, like CO, if you buy from soapers choice, 50 lbs, it will come in one HUGE pail. They are plastic and the HDPE, or whatever, and can withstand high temps. @Candybee I've never tried to make soap with this, but I don't think it's the right kind of plastic, because it doesn't specify what plastic it is. I know they have SS paint stirrers, but I opted not to get one of those (it was a little more pricey, and they were much longer and more heavy duty, and I just didn't need that) You're welcome for the pics. I wish I could have found my longer stirrer, I know it's down in that mess somewhere. Probably with my empty 5 gal buckets, which at this point in time are buried. But literally it looks exactly the same as this one, just longer. I've had the drill for quite a long time, so the price may have gone up, but i can't see it have gone up much more than what that was, maybe to $20 or $25 at the most... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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